Ebonyi community drags army, police to court, demands N1bn damages

Posted by News Express | 18 February 2017 | 1,967 times

The Ndieze Inyimegu Unuphu, Izzi-Amegu community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi state have dragged the Nigerian Army and Police to the federal high court sitting in Abakaliki, for breaching their fundamental human rights.

Joined in the in the suit was Ebonyi state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Augustine Nwakwegu. The community is also seeking N1 billion exemplary damages against the respondents.

The applicants also allege that the respondents breached their fundamental rights to economic, social and cultural development, general satisfactory environment favourable to their development, and freedom from spoliation, contrary to laws of the land.

The applicants further allege that the respondents unlawfully, forcefully and without lawful authority, entered into their lands with bulldozers and other demolition equipments, destroyed and cleared away their homes, farms and economic tress in December 2013 and 22nd November 2016.

According to the suit which was filed yesterday, the unlawful actions of the respondents rendered the affected applicants homeless, broke their families apart and brought starvation upon the applicants.

The applicants sought injunction restraining the respondents from arresting them, carrying out any further evacuation, demolition and/or destruction of their homes, buildings, farmlands, economic tress in the community. (Nnamdi Akpa/The Guardian)